The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed as false and misleading a viral social media report alleging that the Deputy Governor sponsored a controversial bill before the State House of Assembly.

The report, attributed to one Obiavel Albert Abigo, Esq., claimed that the Deputy Governor had proposed a bill seeking to criminalise sexual relationships between married men and single women, with penalties allegedly including up to 10 years’ imprisonment for women involved and a ₦2 million fine for the married men. It further claimed that the bill was scheduled for passage on Tuesday, January 13, 2025.

Reacting to the claim, the Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, in a statement issued on behalf of the state government, described the report as “entirely false, misleading, and without any factual basis.”

The government clarified that the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Her Excellency Senator (Dr.) Akon Eyakenyi, has not sponsored any bill in the State House of Assembly and is not aware of the existence of the purported legislation circulating online.

The statement explained that under the constitutional separation of powers, the Deputy Governor, as a member of the State Executive Council, does not have the authority to independently sponsor bills before the House of Assembly. It noted that any Executive Bill must first be deliberated upon and approved by the Executive Council before being formally transmitted to the legislature by the Governor or an authorised representative.

According to the government, the alleged bill did not originate from any official communication channel of either the Executive or Legislative arm of government, urging members of the public to disregard the report in its entirety.

Similarly, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Omen Bassey, issued a disclaimer stressing that the false report had generated unnecessary public concern, with several enquiries directed to the Deputy Governor’s office. He reiterated that Senator Eyakenyi has not sponsored any bill in the Assembly or elsewhere and has no knowledge of the fictitious proposal.

The state government warned purveyors of falsehood to desist from spreading fake news and advised the public to rely only on verified and official government sources for accurate information, particularly on sensitive and controversial issues.